Halloween takes over San Diego

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A candy-filled pumpkin estimated at about 500 pounds sent splatter for a record-setting 101 feet when it was dropped off the 11th floor of Tioga Hall at UC San Diego Friday.

The 40th annual Monster Pumpkin Drop was one of numerous activities for all ages scheduled around the county today for Halloween.

The sacrificial gourd, named "Bruh" by members of the Muir Residents Council after the new Instagram lingo for "Bro," beat the old record of more than 100 feet. Bruh was donated by local grower Jack Berndes.

For the younger set, the county of San Diego will host community festivals at community centers in Fallbrook, Lakeside and Spring Valley. The events will include safe trick-or-treating, games and contests.

In National City, the fire and police departments are teaming up for the seventh annual "Tower of Terror," in which the NCFD's training tower will be transformed into a haunted house. The event begins at 5 p.m. at Station No. 34, 343 E. 16th St.

Several big holiday parties for adults are scheduled for Friday night.

At 6 p.m., the annual "Monster Bash" will be held over eight blocks of the Gaslamp Quarter and East Village, featuring five entertainment stages, dancing and a costume contest.

At 7 p.m., the "Zombie Ball," a fundraiser for the Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company, will include professional makeup artists who will transform party-goers at the Museum of Man into the undead, or vampires, monsters, skeletons, mermaids or other creatures.

At 10 p.m., the House of Blues will hold its ninth annual Halloween Block Party, with three stages of music and a costume contest.

Late-night downtown revelers will be able to ride home on extra trolleys, according to the Metropolitan Transit System.

Additional Green Line trains will leave the Gaslamp Quarter Station at 12:08 a.m., 12:23 a.m., and 12:38 a.m., and go to the parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium and San Diego State University. The last Green Line trolley to go all the way to Santee will leave downtown around 10 p.m.

An extra Blue Line train to San Ysidro will depart the Fifth Avenue station at 12:25 a.m.

An added Orange Line train will depart at 12:27 a.m. from the Fifth Avenue station.

A San Diego judge called an adult man a "little boy" in his courtroom, repeatedly noted the physical attractiveness of female attorneys and spoke to litigants in Spanish based on their surnames, among other misconduct that nearly led to his removal from office, a state disciplinary agency said Thursday.

A San Diego judge called an adult man a "little boy" in his courtroom, repeatedly noted the physical attractiveness of female attorneys and spoke to litigants in Spanish based on their surnames, among other misconduct that nearly led to his removal from office, a state disciplinary agency said Thursday.

An international team of veterinarians is in Ukraine helping hundreds of dogs at the site of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster. One of the vets is from San Diego and spoke with News 8 via Skype while on a mission of mercy.

An international team of veterinarians is in Ukraine helping hundreds of dogs at the site of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster. One of the vets is from San Diego and spoke with News 8 via Skype while on a mission of mercy.

The captain of a Navy warship that lost seven sailors in a collision with a commercial container ship in June will be relieved of command and nearly a dozen others face punishment, the Navy's second-ranking admiral said Thursday.

The captain of a Navy warship that lost seven sailors in a collision with a commercial container ship in June will be relieved of command and nearly a dozen others face punishment, the Navy's second-ranking admiral said Thursday.